What Is Arabic-Malayalam: Has It Alienated Malayali Muslims from Their Local Culture and Literature, Or Can It Be Considered an Embodiment of Syncretic Pluralism?
By
Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam
28 July
2023
Arabic-Malayalam
is the way of writing Malayalam language in Arabic. There are twenty-eight
letters in Arabic. Only fifteen of them can be written using Malayalam script.
The remaining thirteen letters cannot be written. Malayalam vowels ‘a’, ‘aa’,
‘e’, ‘ee’, ‘u’ and ‘uu’ are the only vowels that could be in Arabic. ‘Ai’,
‘ae’, ‘I’, ‘o’, ‘au’ have no similar vowels in Arabic. For example, there is no
Arabic letter that can replace the Malayalam letter ‘cha’. There is an Arabic
letter pronounced ‘Ja’. With the letter 'ja' which is written with one dot, two
more dots were added and pronounced as 'cha'. This is how each letter is
replaced in Arabic script from Malayalam. Arabic words with the same
pronunciation are not available to replace Malayalam letters related to Muslim
culture, so new letters were made by making minor modifications to similar
Arabic letters. So, this is how Arabic-Malayalam was formed as a product of
plural coexistence of Kerala Muslims. Instead of maintain separate identity through
peculiar languages as in Nort India, Kerala Muslims adopted Malayalam language
with modifications in Arabic script.
This aspect of linguistic pluralism has been cited as a reason for
unparalleled social harmony in South India.
Origin
The exact
time when Arabic-Malayalam took shape cannot be determined. It should be
understood that the Muslims of Kerala were formed as a community in the early
Islamic periods and religious studies and knowledge were formed since the
situation came to reach the common Muslims. Ullur S. Parameswaran Pillai, in
his Kerala literary history published in 1953, dates back origin of
Arabic-Malayalam to six hundred years from the present. (Volume: 1, 1953:228).
Looking at some facts, it can be seen that Arabic-Malayalam emerged from the
9th century (O. Abu, Arabimalayala Sahityam, 1970:16-17). K. Abubakar writes
that history has witnessed the presence of Muslims here since the 9th century
AD and Arabic-Malayalam can be at least as old as that.
Is
Arabic-Malayalam a language?
Linguist O.
Abu that Arabic-Malayalam is a language and that language has its own grammar.
(History of Arabic-Malayalam Literature,22). CK Karim also shares this opinion
(Kerala Muslim Directory, 170). K Shamsuddin says that Arabic-Malayalam is the
written form of one of the dialects of Malayalam. (Mappila Malayalam is a
mixture of languages). But M N Karassery says that Arabic-Malayalam is only the
written language of Malabar Muslims. In any case, Arabic-Malayalam also
exhibits some grammatical and linguistic characteristics of its own while
subsuming the Malayalam language in a separate script, making full use of the
Arabic script.
Arabic-Malayalam
did not only exist through oral communication alone. The language has script as
the backbone of the language, ‘Mala literature’ (traditional song literature)
as the media of enjoyment and a rich literature. Ancient Arab merchants did not
have imperial interests. They gave importance to broad human culture. A strong
social relationship existed here with exchanges of goods and services.
Therefore, many Arabic words took place in Malayalam's colloquial language.
There are
many Arabic words that are used in Malayalam conversation as a lingering impact
of social mixture of Arabic-Malayalm in Malayali tradition. Examples are
Rahmat, Manzil, Musafir, Chaya, Hamuk, Dhikr, Dars, Alif, Aadat, Muhabat, Bahr,
Nikah, Mahr, Porisha, Monjatti, Manoharikka, Udakkam, Kutusha, Puthi, Beater,
Bandhuka etc.
Similar
Experiments
There had
the custom of writing the local language in the Arabic script in the lands
where the Muslims lived. Examples are Arabic-Punjabi, Arabic-Tamil,
Arabic-Kannada, Arabic-Sindhi etc. Similarly, Spanish Muslims wrote the Spanish
language in Arabic script. It was called Aljamido. Many books have been created
in this script. Similar to Arabic-Malayalam, it faced government action around
1492 and many were destroyed (Syed Azizur Rahman, 2002, 491-493).
When
religious studies became indispensable for Muslims and Arabic letters with the
same pronunciation were not available to replace some of the Malayalam letters
associated with Muslim culture, Muslims were forced to use the Arabic script in
the vernacular. Born as a result of a religious imperative, Arabic-Malayalam
also served a cultural function.
Symbol
Of Resistance
The
Mappilas were able to create an alternative system to the language of the
colonial speakers with Arabic-Malayalam. Linguistic implementations such as
these can be seen in resistance societies trying to resist political and cultural
colonial encroachment. Communities that believe that the land, culture, and
faith they live in have their own identity and must continue to do so,
resisting colonization through their own dialects.
Colonization
can be resisted linguistically in three ways. One is to completely reject the
language of colonialism and use only the language that bears the imprint of
one's own culture. An example of this is the Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o,
who had decided to ban English departments from his universities, which control
their cultural heritage and consciousness and promote western modernity, and
write in his own language, Gikuyu. I believe that his writing in Gikuyu, the
Kenyan language, is an essential part of the struggles of the people of Africa
and Kenya against imperialism.
Second,
while using the language of colonialism in an essential world context, it
brings within it traces of one's own culture and land, both linguistically and
thematically. An example of this is the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, who
wrote in English but consciously expressed his own national idioms and
anti-colonial themes in his novels. It is the creation of a parallel linguistic
culture within the colonial language itself.
Third,
while being forced to use the colonial language entirely, act on the sense that
it is not one's own language and culture. An example of this is the linguistic
approach of Edward Said, a prominent oriental intellectual. Edward Said says
that when we learn English in school, we learn their language, and when we
speak English, it makes us feel like it is not my language. (Jamal Kochangadi,
2007: 144-156)33
Among
these, Arabic-Malayalam is part of the first method. Through Arabic-Malayalam,
the Mappilas proved that they have their own identity and can express whatever
they want through it, completely rejecting the colonial language. It is worth
noting that the Mappila literature expressed anti-colonial themes and their
script also stood as a symbol of resistance.
Communal
Harmony Fostered Through Language
The shared
language of Hindus and Muslims helped cement communal amity. Unlike, North
Indian counterpart where linguistic separatism was one of the root causes for
communal tension, the absence of linguistic barriers brought communities
together. Malayalam was written in Sanskrit by Hindus and in Arabic by Muslims.
The similitude of oral language helped both communities share culture. This
fluidity of cultural assimilation by both communities is felt even today.
The
historical records, produced by eminent literary historian Ullor Paramesharan
has explained Hindus using Arabic Malayalam for trade and art purposes. The
literary traditions of Sanskrit were munificently borrowed by Muslims and
presented in Arabic-Malayalam. Though Muslim themes were introduced into
Malayalam poetry by non-Muslim poets since the beginning of the 20th century,
the entry of Muslims into the Malayalam literature is of late occurrence
because of the attachment of the Muslim poets to Arabic Malayalam. In imitation
of the Sanskrit literary tradition Maha Kavyam were composed by Malayalam
poets. Rama Chandra Vilasam was written by Azakath Padmanabha. Kurp and
Kattakkayam cheriyan Mappila wrote Sree Yeshu Vijayam. But Mahammadam was
written only after a long period. Ponkunnam saidu Mohammad, a Muslim scholar in
Sanskrit and Malayalam, wrote this Maha Kavyam in the same Snskrit metre and
here the poet attempts to narrate the story of mankind in an Islamic
perspective. It also contains a description of the Quran in detail.
Kerala is
the breeding ground of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood. In medieval period, many
sailors who were traveling in revenge for the Crusades were traveling in search
of the country of Muslims. When Portuguese admiral Cabral, who came to Kerala
in 1600, demanded the expulsion of all Muslims from the port of Kozhikode, he
opposed it and declared that he saw the Arab traders as his own subjects. This
friendly atmosphere has been a boon to the Muslims who had crossed the sea for
trade. Many people, who were impressed by the teachings of the Sufis and cured
by their presence, made many gifts for religious institutions. Churches were
built in many places with the cooperation of Hindus. Hindu kings also built
many mosques. The Malappuram church was built by Paranambi, the Hindu ruler of
Malappuram. The temple and the church standing next to each other is a
wonderful sight in Kerala.
Animal
sacrifice is not performed on Ead as a sign of respect in the Shaikh's mosque
near Chalat Shastra temple. Many practices of the Muslim Arakal dynasty were
similar to those of the Hindu Chirakal dynasty. The royal palace and wedding
traditions were full of similarities. The churches found in the coastal areas
of Ponnani and Kannur are almost built in the style of temples. While the
mosques, which are full of carvings, are inscribed with plants and vines, the
temples contain images of deities. Poet Kambalat Govindan Nair has written
Patapat (war ballad) about the Malabar War. Although many people used literary
forms to express their hatred, the facts that they experienced in life were
rejected by the people.
Art forms
play a major role in maintaining religious harmony. Mala songs (Panegyrics)
which are the plot of religious harmony become a bridge between the two
communities. Even in friendships between kingdoms, arts were exchanged
influenced by Arabic-Malayalam. The fact that the Nawabs became the main
promoters of Kalari underlines this deep connection. The fact that art and
sculpture are given the same importance as literature in estimating the
enlightenment and civilization of every society calls for their preservation.
In short,
it is our responsibility to protect such arts, literary traditions which are
measures of identity. Art forms and linguistic diversities play a major role in
maintaining religious harmony. The condemnation of inclusive literary tradition
by Salafi puritans has to be opposed as they have the potential to rip the
country across. Islam as a religion is entirely receptive to plural literary
traditions and art form, contrary to modern reformists. Arabic-Malayalam in
this score derives special attention as the embodiment of historical communal
brotherhood and religious assimilation.
-----
A regular columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, Mubashir
V.P is a PhD scholar in Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia and freelance
journalist.
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism